Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work.

Last week, I co-led the introduction of the Overcoming Higher Education Hunger Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (OHH SNAP) Act, legislation to make it easier for low-income students or students with an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 to participate in SNAP. Additionally, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act went into effect. This is a massive win for pregnant individuals in the workforce. 

More from the week: Casework on Your Corner brings our office to you at Meriden and Danbury City Halls. Lastly, I am happy to share Service Academy Applications are now open until October 20, 2023. 

For the full recap, please read below. 

OHH SNAP Act

Last week, I co-led the introduction of the Overcoming Higher Education Hunger Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (OHH SNAP) Act with Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05).

This legislation would allow independent students and students with an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0 to be eligible to participate in SNAP.

Higher education is meant to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills in their future career and increase their earning potential. Unfortunately, far too many students face barriers outside of the classroom that hinder the ability to earn degrees, including hunger. 

According to some reports, more than 1 in 3 college students report not having enough to eat, and just 31% of college students who meet SNAP income limits report receiving benefits, while 69% of eligible students received no benefits. 

The OHH SNAP Act would make it easier for students to access SNAP by excluding financial aid used for living expenses from personal income and counting time spent attending an institution of higher education towards SNAP work requirements.

Additional information on the OHH SNAP Act is available here.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is bipartisan legislation to provide pregnant workers with the right to reasonable workplace accommodations, provided they do not impose an unnecessary burden on the employer. Last week, the legislation went into effect. 

Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, private sector employers with more than 15 employees, as well as public sector employers, must make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. Additionally, pregnant workers cannot be denied employment opportunities, retaliated against for requesting a reasonable accommodation, or forced to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation is available.

This legislation is a tremendous win for pregnant individuals in the workforce. Prior to last week, there were no federal protections to explicitly guarantee all pregnant workers the right to basic accommodations.The implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has changed that nationwide ensuring groundbreaking protections for pregnant, postpartum and pumping workers. 

This includes the right to extra breaks, flexible scheduling for medical appointments, time off to recover from birth, lighter workloads, and much more.

Additional information is available here.

Casework on Your Corner

Do you need assistance navigating a federal agency?  My casework team can help. New dates for the Casework on your Corner program have been released. My caseworkers will be available at both Meriden City Hall and Danbury City Hall on the following days from 11AM – 4PM. 

Meriden: Monday, 7/24, Tuesday, 8/8, Tuesday, 9/5, Tuesday, 10/3, Monday, 11/20, and Tuesday, 12/19. 

Danbury: Monday, 7/10, Tuesday, 8/22, Monday, 9/25, Tuesday, 10/10, Monday, 11/27, and Monday, 12/18. 
 

Service Academy Applications 

Are you a CT-05 student interested in pursuing higher education and serving our nation?  Apply for a Service Academy Nomination. 

A congressional nomination is required to be considered by a Service Academy for admission for a tuition-free college education and more from one of four world-class institutions, including the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Applications for Service Academy Nominations are open until October 20, 2023. 

To learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process, please click here.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes
Member of Congress